


The Way You Make Me Feel

by CloversDreams



Category: SK8 the Infinity (Anime)
Genre: Banter, Carla’s Impeccable Timing, Denial of Feelings, Established physical relationship, Jealousy, M/M, Mild Language, Realization of Feelings, if you can call it that, theyre childhood friendssss
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-30
Updated: 2021-01-30
Packaged: 2021-03-16 17:26:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,673
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29086080
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CloversDreams/pseuds/CloversDreams
Summary: “Don’t you dare talk about Carla like that, she’s the love of my life!” Kaoru shrieked.“Yeah? And what am I?” Kojiro asked without missing a beat.Kaoru was silent as he thought about it for a moment. Friend? Acquaintance? Pain in the ass that keeps him coming back for more? No, none of that seemed to sum it all up. A thought occurred to him and it was probably the best his brain could come up with at the moment so he simply blurted out, “You’re my personal vice.”“I might be mad about that if it didn’t make me sound all forbidden and sexy,” Kojiro snickered. “Good to know that’s what you think of me.”“What! I didn’t say–!”“Too late. No take backs.” Kojiro laughed.
Relationships: Nanjo Kojiro | Joe/Sakurayashiki Kaoru | Cherry Blossom
Comments: 32
Kudos: 1011
Collections: read stories





	The Way You Make Me Feel

**Author's Note:**

> In case you havent seen their real names floating around, Joe is Kojiro and Cherry is Kaoru ^_^<3

Kaoru was _not_ making out with his rival slash secret lover behind an abandoned house they’d discovered off the beaten path near the end of the “S” racetrack. Because he was better than that. He did his best to assure himself of that fact even as the lips pressed against his made an alarming amount of his brain shut off. If this kept up, he’d be no smarter than the gorilla that had both hands on the wall behind him in an attempt to keep him caged.

There was nothing gentle about what was happening. The kiss was aggressive, needy, and clearly fueled by the adrenaline still coursing through the green-haired man’s body after that last race. Kaoru suspected there was even more to it. Somehow it felt like it was an attempt to prove a point. Whatever that might be, he wouldn’t let this guy win, nope.

Kaoru shifted slightly and his back rubbed against the dirty building behind him. He had to stop from grunting in disapproval. Great. Now he needed to get his outfit dry cleaned. Frankly, he should send Kojiro the damn bill. This was his fault, after all.

He grabbed the stupid jacket hanging off the taller man’s unnecessarily buff arms and broke the kiss then used all the strength he could muster to yank him sideways. A quick step to the side, which may or may not have resembled a dance move, and Kaoru had successfully switched their positions. It was a small victory, but he still found himself grinning smugly because of it.

Kojiro blinked when his back hit the building. However, unlike his companion, he wasn’t bothered at all by such a thing. If Kaoru didn’t know any better, he’d say the guy actually liked it. Like an idiot. Kaoru couldn’t stand it. He reached up with his right hand and held the back of the taller man’s neck firmly. He pulled him downward as he surged forward to slot their lips together again.

This time the kiss was on his terms. He could choose to lean into it aggressively and press Kojiro up against the building or pull away just a bit and make the other man work for it if he desired. Kaoru was well aware of the power he held when he initiated this kind of thing. It’d be a lie to say it wasn’t a rush. Kissing this man who knew things about him that Kaoru would never willingly tell another soul was certainly an experience. When he finally broke the kiss he needed a moment to catch his breath. Damn. Had he really been that into it?

A teasing smile spread across Kojiro’s face and he hummed, “You’re in quite a mood tonight. Did you give any thought to what I asked you the other day?”

“My answer was clear at the time and hasn’t changed,” Kaoru replied with a frown. He shut his eyes and turned his head away from the other man as he added, “No. I won’t agree to call us an item.”

“A shame,” Kojiro sighed with a shake of his head. He gently tucked stray strands of pink hair that didn’t quite reach the long ponytail behind Kaoru’s ear and mumbled, “Though that wasn’t exactly what I asked. What’s wrong? Can’t you even say the words?”

“Back off you oaf,” Kaoru grumbled.

“And if I don’t wanna?” Kojiro asked. He leaned in close so that his every breath could be felt upon the shorter man’s ear then ran his fingers through Kaoru’s long ponytail and added, “What if I say I’m going to stay right here until you agree to date me for real?”

“Master, I’ve sensed an unusual spike in your body temperature as well as a quickening of your pulse,” A mechanical voice cut through the air. “Would you like me to call a doctor?”

“No, Carla,” Kaoru replied through gritted teeth.

Kojiro chuckled softly next to his ear then leaned away. His teasing grin never faltered as he hummed, “Can’t hide from the truth, huh, Kaoru?”

Kaoru slapped his pec, which was more likely to hurt him than Kojiro since it was so stupidly firm. Not that he cared. He narrowed his eyes and hissed, “Don’t call me that while we’re in our gear!”

“Sorry, sorry.” Kojiro sighed. He shook his head and added, “Sheesh, you’re a firecracker, Cherr. My point was that even your ridiculous machine knows just how into me you are.”

“Don’t you dare talk about Carla like that, she’s the love of my life!” Kaoru shrieked.

“Yeah? And what am I?” Kojiro asked without missing a beat.

Kaoru was silent as he thought about it for a moment. Friend? Acquaintance? Pain in the ass that keeps him coming back for more? No, none of that seemed to sum it all up. A thought occurred to him and it was probably the best his brain could come up with at the moment so he simply blurted out, “You’re my personal vice.”

“I might be mad about that if it didn’t make me sound all forbidden and sexy,” Kojiro snickered. “Good to know that’s what you think of me.”

“What! I didn’t say–!”

“Too late. No take backs.” Kojiro laughed. He looked down at the glowing skateboard then to the way Kaoru’s brow was furrowed as he glared at him. A mischievous gleam flashed in his eyes then he said loudly, “Oy, Carla.”

The skateboard glowed brightly then replied, “Hello, Joe. Is there something I can help you with?”

“Sure is.” He didn’t take his eyes off of the ones attempting to glare a hole right through him as he said, “Tell me how many calories are burned during hot, sweaty, monkey sex.”

“While unfamiliar with that specific term,” The A.I. immediately responded, “it is a fact that the number of calories burned during intercourse depends on just how rigorous the aforementioned sexual activity is. Taking that into consideration means the results would vary from–”

“Carla, silence!” Kaoru shrieked. He knew that letting this guy convince him to allow her to respond to his voice would come back to bite him in the ass one day, yet some small part of him thought that maybe they’d finally agree on how amazing she was. Of course it was just for something as idiotic as this. He ground his teeth in irritation and continued to glare at the taller man.

Kojiro winked then stepped onto his skateboard. He kicked off to get it rolling and waved over his shoulder as he said, “Can’t stick around, I’ve got a date. Calories to burn and all that. See you next race, four-eyes!”

Kaoru watched him skate off in disbelief.

“Master, I am sensing that you have elevated levels of dopamine and norepinephrine. Should I–”

“No, Carla,” Kaoru replied through gritted teeth. One last moment to glare in the direction Kojiro had gone then he sighed, “I just want you to plot out the fastest route home.”

“Yes, Master. Calculating now.”

Kaoru frowned at the pots on the stove. Though he was home now, and in his casual attire, he still hadn’t destressed from that little interaction earlier. The nerve of that guy. Getting him all worked up and then just leaving while talking about going on a date with someone else. If anyone walked away from their rendezvous it should’ve been _him_ dammit.

He’d always been the logical one, ever since they were children. The fact that they were ever friends at all was so strange when he thought back on it. The two of them had opposite approaches to absolutely everything. There was barely a thing they could find common ground on. And yet, for some strange reason even he could never figure out, their friendship only deepened. Heck, they even ended up taking a liking to the same hobby– with radically different approaches to it of course.

It was during the tail end of high school that they’d kissed for the first time. Mere curiosity drove them to it, really. Afterwards they ended up agreeing that it was a mistake and decided to forget about it. Life continued on as if nothing had changed. However, time made fools of everyone and their adult selves had a much different opinion on the matter.

Kaoru wasn’t one to drool over another person, no matter how hot they were by society’s standards, but that was before he saw Kojiro again for the first time since high school graduation. That stupid oaf attended some fancy culinary school overseas and hadn’t bothered to keep in contact. Not that Kaoru cared. He didn’t spend his free time practicing skating just so he could once and for all prove that his way of skateboarding was the superior one next time they saw each other, nope. That guy never even crossed his mind.

Years passed with no indication that he’d ever return. Kaoru came to accept that but didn’t drop his hobby. He did enjoy it, after all. His technique was special, he liked putting effort into crafting it. He’d long forgotten that the sport used to be a favorite pastime of him and his former best friend that he kind of hated. Which was why seeing Kojiro in the country again was so darn shocking. Kaoru had no idea what was in the water over there but good lord. Time had been good to him in the most infuriating way. Feelings stirred within him that he really wished hadn’t.

“Master, the pot was about to boil over so I turned down the heat on the stove,” Carla’s animatronic voice said loudly, knocking Kaoru out of his own head.

“Ah! Good!” Kaoru replied louder than necessary. He stirred the pot in question then set the spoon onto the nearby counter. Of course his mind wandered back to that muscular idiot. It refused to focus on anything else right now. He supposed that he could always tap into the security cameras at Kojiro’s restaurant to see if he was lying about having a date. On the other hand, there wasn’t any point in that because he certainly didn’t care what that guy was or wasn’t doing. Neither of them owed the other anything, that included their loyalty.

“Master, the pasta is now overcooked,” Carla said.

Kaoru jolted in surprise. He quickly turned off the burner and stirred the pot once more. His brow knitted together and he grumbled, “That’s what I was going for. It’s my preference.” Why the heck he’d felt the need to lie, he had no idea.

“Understood. Saving to your personal preferences.”

“Don’t do that!” Kaoru yelped. He let out an exasperated sigh then shook his head and reached into the nearby cabinet so he could grab a plate. There was no use in getting snippy with Carla. It wasn’t her fault after all.

He plated his food then set it onto the small kitchen table nearby. Kaoru poured himself a glass of wine then finally sat down to eat. It was so quiet. Most of the time that was a good thing. His preference, really. However, during times like this silence was a curse. He had nothing to do but stew in his own thoughts and he couldn’t stand it.

Thinking about Kojiro was nothing but a nuisance yet he couldn’t help but do so as he ate his incredibly unappetizing meal. Not only did the guy leave him quite unsatisfied after teasing him earlier, but Kaoru knew for a fact that Kojiro was just acting out because he refused to label them as a thing. Admittedly, the thought of Kojiro wooing some random woman just because he could instead of him being here and making _him_ a meal right now made Kaoru furious. 

But those things were mutually exclusive. Kaoru was a shit cook and he never ate as good as he did when Kojiro visited. As for the label thing, well, he couldn’t ever put it as eloquently as that stupid oaf had. Kojiro hadn’t minced words when he'd declared that ‘If we’re not dating, there’s no need for exclusivity’. Whatever. Fine by him. He didn’t care what that guy was up to or who it was with.

Kaoru’s phone chimed and he stiffened. There was no way it was that jerk because clearly he’d had other plans. Messaging now would just make him look like the fool he was. Then again, Kaoru wouldn’t expect anything else from the guy. He supposed he could let Kojiro come over now if he asked properly. The corner of his mouth twitched at the thought.

“Master, you have one new email. I have scanned it and determined it to be spam so I sent it to the appropriate folder. There are no other messages at the time.”

Kaoru’s little smirk never spred across his face. His shoulders slumped and he sure was glad no one else was around to see that for a brief moment he’d made a total fool of himself. Expecting too much of an idiot made _him_ the idiot, did it not? He poked at the bland noodles on his plate and muttered, “Thank you, Carla.”

The next time he and Kojiro saw one another was even more brief than the last. Well, the conversation side of it was. The two of them got right to business and when that was done Kojiro didn’t hang around, which wasn’t like him at all. Normally he just made himself at home and Kaoru had to practically shove him out the door so he could have peace and quiet again.

Of course the guy didn’t leave without explanation. Evidently he didn’t have time to linger because he had to go pack for a trip overseas. Kaoru didn’t ask for details and wasn’t given any. It probably had something or other to do with his restaurant. That made sense since it was his livelihood. Looking at it that way, it was actually illogical of him to stop by at all instead of go home and make sure he was prepared to leave.

That was nearly ten days ago, and he hadn’t seen Kojiro since. Not that he was counting or anything. Kaoru spent time with clients like he always did during the day and at night he focused on perfecting his craft. His life was peaceful without running into that nuisance or having to think about meeting him in that secret spot of theirs. By that he meant boring. Impossibly dull, in fact. Which was a _good_ thing. The only excitement he needed in life was skateboarding. That was worth his focus. In fact, that was his reason for being out shopping today.

The next race would be in a few days and Kaoru had a few tweaks to make to Carla’s hardware beforehand. He needed some spare parts to get everything to work the way he wanted so he’d had no choice but to buy some. The new upgrades would make his board even more incredible; it was going to be amazing.

“Yo, if it isn’t the pink menace himself!”

Kaoru paused mid-step at the sound of the familiar shout. He’d recognize it anywhere. He’d thought about it far too often over the past two weeks. Though he found it hard to believe that guy was back in the country and hadn’t bothered to send a text. Just what was his problem? Kaoru turned around, fully prepared to give him an earful, but didn’t get the chance. The words died in his throat as soon as he laid eyes upon Kojiro.

Part of him was reminded about the time they’d reunited a few years ago. Kojiro showed up looking like some chiseled god and grinning like an idiot then too. Only this time he was rather tan. When did he have the time for that kind of thing? Maybe his trip had been for pleasure after all.

As soon as Kaoru had the thought his gaze shifted to the petite woman hanging off Kojiro’s arm. She was pretty. Really pretty, in fact, with her dark hair and shining eyes. The sweet smile upon her face lead him to believe that she was kindhearted too. Kaoru noticed that she was also quite tan and couldn’t help but wonder if they’d sunned together to achieve that. The way his gut twisted at the thought was enough to make him nauseous for a moment.

“Earth to pinky.” Kojiro waved his free hand in Kaoru’s face. He frowned then asked, “What’s wrong? Did you use up all your braincells and become a dimwit now?”

“That’s not very nice, Jojo,” The woman said with a shake of her head.

Kaoru’s right eye twitched. Who the fuck was _Jojo_? He looked from the woman to the idiot that was chuckling softly and patting her head. Just what was he witnessing right now? What the heck was with the fond look that oaf had in his eyes? Kaoru hadn’t ever seen anything like it before. Well, not directed at him. His gut twisted again and his hand clenched around the handle of the bag he was carrying. Had he accidentally shifted into some alternate reality where nothing made sense?

“Don’t worry, he’s used to it,” Kojiro replied with a wink in her direction. He looked back at the pink-haired man and raised a curious eyebrow at him. Clearly it was a silent attempt to ask if everything was all right.

Acrid words bubbled up from the horrid feeling in Kaoru’s gut and lingered upon the tip of his tongue. He bit the inside of his cheek to keep them from accidentally slipping out. Normally, he’d give Kojiro a piece of his mind no matter who was watching but right now Kaoru felt that he needed to hold back. If he allowed himself to engage, he might say something he’d regret.

He excused himself as politely as possible and left without so much as another glance at Kojiro. The only thing he could do to maintain his composure was to get out of the situation. As he briskly walked away he heard the woman chirp something about wanting Kojiro to buy her something shiny. Kaoru frowned to himself. He had no idea what he was supposed to do with the horrible feeling coursing through him. He couldn’t stand it.

*

The race went even better than Kaoru could’ve hoped. Carla’s new upgrades really had their chance to shine. The crowd roared loudly as they cheered for his overwhelming victory. Why anyone would even challenge him at this point, Kaoru didn’t know, but he did welcome the chance to show off a bit. He was quite proud of his board.

He watched the rest of the races in silence. Boring. Each of them was as predictable as the last. It was the final one that he had the least amount of interest in. Kojiro versus some no-name newbie. The camera zoomed in on that guy’s stupid smile and teasing wink then Kaoru turned away. He’d seen enough. The race was as good as won. With such a predictable outcome, he didn’t need to stick around.

As such, he wandered off. He reached into his robes and fished his phone out of his pocket so he could check messages. Speak of the devil, there was one from Kojiro. Kaoru didn’t need to open it to know what it said. It was their codeword for ‘I’ll meet you at the usual spot after the race’. Kaoru glared at the screen for a long moment as he debated deleting it.

A flash of the way Kojiro smiled at that woman when they’d bumped into each other popped into his head and Kaoru ground his teeth. There was no point in the two of them meeting up at all if the guy had someone he could smile at like that now. The decision seemed so obvious. He put his phone back into his pocket then went home. Right now all he needed was sleep. He was exhausted and had the most terrible feeling of foreboding that he couldn’t seem to shake. He’d just gotten a new coffee maker and managed to teach Carla to use it so hopefully a nice cup would help ease his nerves a bit.

The knock at his door ninety minutes later didn’t exactly come as a surprise. Kaoru had Carla mute his phone and ignore any incoming messages. He even considered going to bed early but tired as he was, he wasn’t sleepy just yet. Now he found himself contemplating ignoring the knocking as well. Maybe then the guy would get the hint.

It was when another round of even louder knocking began that he finally sighed and meandered over to the door. Last thing he needed was to have to replace that because of some ridiculous gorilla. He unlocked it then walked away without bothering to open it. Kaoru heard Kojiro grumbling something to himself as he entered and kicked off his shoes. He didn’t care. He wandered back to the kitchen so he could have another sip of his coffee. Not a moment later he heard footsteps approach.

“You stood me up, four-eyes.”

Kaoru shut his eyes, sipped his drink, then asked, “Did I?”

Kojiro took the mug from his hands and set it aside. He had a disapproving frown upon his face as he said, “You could’ve at least sent a text or something when you knew you weren’t coming. I waited for you.”

Kaoru blinked at him. He nodded and took out his phone then replied, “You’re absolutely right.”

“What?” Kojiro wasn’t sure he’d ever heard those words directed at him before. Kaoru wasn’t one to say something like that. He watched the pink-haired man type something then put the phone back into his pocket without another word. When his own phone chimed his eyes widened. Kojiro quickly fished it out of his pocket and read the new message. A moment passed, then another, and he finally looked up from the screen when he asked, “Is this a joke?”

“Was it not clear?” Kaoru asked, his voice as icy as he could possibly manage. He glanced at the taller man out of the corner of his eye and said, “It’s over. We’re done with whatever it is we’re doing.”

“You can’t just decide something like that on your own!”

“I can and did. You know where the exit is.”

“What happened to cause this all of a sudden? Hey, wait.” Kojiro put a hand upon his shoulder and squeezed. “Talk to me.”

Kaoru spun around and slapped the hand away from himself. A fire that he had no control over burned in his eyes as he exclaimed, “You seemed much happier with that gorgeous woman the other day than you ever have with me!”

Kojiro’s eyes widened and as soon as Kaoru realized what he just said his did the same. Oh. He really hadn’t meant to let that out so abruptly. Shit.

“Are you… jealous?” Kojiro asked, the disbelief in his voice palpable.

“Absolutely not!” Kaoru shrieked. “I just hated seeing you two together and would rather never talk to you again than think about the way you smiled with her when you’ve never once looked at me like that!” Kaoru paused. He blinked as his own words registered in his brain. “OK, yeah, I hear it now. Fuck.”

“Do you kiss your mother with that mouth?” Kojiro asked with a crooked smile.

“Shut up.” Kaoru couldn’t even look the guy in the eye right now. He was so embarrassed by his little outburst that he wasn’t sure what to do with himself. What was it about this guy that caused him to lose all sense of reason? He could scream.

After another moment of silence Kojiro rubbed the back of his neck and sighed, “With all the effort I’ve put into trying to get you to agree to date me, what in the world would make you think I’d move on without a second thought?”

“You’re the one always talking about going out with other people…” Kaoru grumbled. This was so not the conversation he thought they’d be having next time they were alone.

“Yeah, to try and force _you_ to wake up already,” Kojiro snorted. He stepped closer so that there was barely any space between them anymore. He put his fingers beneath Kaoru’s chin and lifted it upwards so he was forced to look him in the eyes as he added, “I’ve been saying it for years and I’ll continue to do so until you get it through your annoyingly thick skull. I want you to be mine, Kaoru.”

The sound of his name upon the man’s lips made Kaoru’s heart flutter. How the heck he’d made that sound sexy was a mystery he’d never solve. Kaoru’s whole face burned and he averted his gaze then muttered, “But that woman…”

“My cousin in the city for a visit,” Kojiro chuckled. He winked then said, “But I agree, she’s super cute. That’s ‘cause she’s got great genes, you know.” He brushed long, pink locks out of the shorter man’s face then asked, “So what do you say?”

Kaoru frowned and replied, “No, I don’t like it.”

“Like what?” Kojiro asked, raising a curious eyebrow in his direction.

“If anything, _you_ should be mine,” Kaoru explained.

“Is that distinction really necessary?” Kojiro sighed with a shake of his head. The corner of his mouth turned upwards in the faintest of smiles and he suggested, “Fine, how about we are both each other’s then?”

Kaoru thought about it for a moment before he finally replied, “As long as you don’t expect me to go easy on you when we race, I suppose that doesn’t sound terrible.”

“As if I’d ever need your charity,” Kojiro snorted. “I’ll kick your ass anytime, anyplace. Just name it.” He wrapped his arms around Kaoru and pulled him up against his chest. There was no time for him to protest, Kojiro immediately pressed their lips together as if to seal the verbal contract.

“Master, your heart rate and body temperature are on the rise at an accelerated rate.”

“Carla, sleep-mode!” Kaoru exclaimed while Kojiro snickered softly next to his ear. There were two dings as the A.I. followed instructions.

Kojiro nuzzled Kaoru’s cheek then kissed that same spot and hummed, “Good luck explaining to your wife that you snagged yourself a boyfriend too.” He stood upright then let out a soft ‘oh’ and rummaged through his pockets. Once he found what he was looking for he offered it to the other man and said, “I almost forgot. I got you something on my trip.”

“You huh?” Kaoru couldn’t help but sound perplexed. Were they at a point in their relationship where they were supposed to buy each other gifts? Maybe he was overthinking it. There was no obligation either way.

Kojiro placed the item in question into Kaoru’s palm. “Here you go.”

“What is this…?” Kaoru asked no one in particular as he held it up.

“A scrunchie.”

Yeah, he could see that. Kaoru narrowed his eyes at the taller man and asked, “Why is it green?”

Kojiro’s smile never left his face as he ran his fingers through his hair then shrugged. He winked at the frowning man and hummed, “What can I say? I think you look good with some green on ya.”

Kaoru shut his eyes and let out an exasperated sigh. The fact that he didn’t hate the gift was more telling than anything else. He slipped the scrunchie onto his wrist then said, “You constantly find new ways to make me want to slap you.”

“I’m glad you like it,” Kojiro snickered. He kissed his boyfriend’s cheek then asked, “Hungry? I could whip something up real quick.”

Now those were magical words. It’d been far too long since he’d had Kojiro’s cooking. Kaoru hoped his excitement wasn’t as obvious as he thought it was when he replied, “Starved, yes.”

**Author's Note:**

> I love these two more every ep oh god… The tiniest crumb feels like such a gigantic meal I cannot believe!!! looking forward to moreeee
> 
> The fact that its canon these two are childhood friends still has me screeching
> 
> Let Cherry and Joe have hair accessories the color of one anothers lovely locks!!!
> 
> [High levels of dopamine and a related hormone, norepinephrine, are released during attraction.] Carla called his ass out. However, norepinephrine also plays a large role in the flight or fight response so perhaps he just wanted to kick Joe’s sexy ass. Por que no los dos


End file.
